Bottle packing machine with flight conveyer for receiving successive rows of articles



A. E. RIDEOUT ET AL 2,650,746 BOTTLE PACKING MACHINE WITH FLIGHT CONVEYER FOR RECEIVING SUCCESSIVE Rows OF ARTICLES Filed. July 31,, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 1, 1953 as Fig].

Sept. 1, 1953 A. E. RIDEOUT ET AL 2,650,746

I BOTTLE PACKING MACHINE WITH FLIGHT CONVEYER FOR RECEIVING SUCCESSIVEl ROWS OF ARTICLES Filed July 51. 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 4/ Fi s 72 4 4 1 11 1! ll 117 Tl 1/7} L- g o 3 v THE"? ATTORNEYS Sept. 1,, 1953 A. E. RIDEOUT ET AL 296509746 BOTTLE PACKING MACHINE WITH FLIGHT CONVEYER FOR RECEIVING SUCCESSIVE ROWS OF mucus med July 51, 1948 a SheetsSheet 3 E9 #5, w i 4 5 vmwons /f' Z3, Mm M4 BYML'J, M KW! {M 7795/? ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 1 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOTTLE PACKING MACHINE WITH FLIGHT CONVEYER FOR RECEIVING SUCCESSIVE ROWS OF ARTICLES Arthur E. Rideout,

Chicago,

111., Kaye B.

Application July 31, 1948, Serial N 0. 41,754

Claims. 1

This invention relates to case packing machines and especially to machines for packing articles such as jars, bottles, and the like, in shipping cases, including cartons made of corrugated board, fiber board or similar material, the purpose of the invention being to provide an improved packing apparatus of this kind.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an apparatus which iscapable of successfully handling fragile articles, such as jars containing food products or the like, and bottles filled with a liquid food product or beverage, and which will place such articles in shipping cases with a minimum of breakage.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this kind which is rapid in oper ation, as well as being reliable and requiring little attention or servicing.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus which is adaptable to different plant conditions and which can be easily changed or modifiedv to suit the particular conditions in a packing plant.

The invention will be set forth in connection with the following descriptionof the particular embodiment of the invention which is shown in the accompanying drawings by way of example. In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal section of the article packing apparatus taken on line ll of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a view showing the apparatus of Fig. 1 partly in side elevation and partly in section (see line 22 of Fig. 1);

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal view taken on line 6-4 of Fig. 3;

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the gate-operating mechanism which is at the right end of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 5 is a view in vertical longitudinal section taken approximately on line 5--5 of Figs. 1 and 6;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 5 and also showing in horizontal section a portion of the apparatus at the right end of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. '7 is a diagram of electrical connections;

Fig. 8 is a detail section of certain parts shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to these drawings, the apparatus is supported by means of a frame-work consisting of two longitudinal side frame members i which are supported on two pairs of uprights 2 and 3, these being connected midway of their height by horizontal frame members i, one on each side of the apparatus. These parts, for simplicity of illustration, are shown as steel castings, but, if desired, may be made of rolled steel sections suitably joined together by bolts or welding. The frame members of each side of the machine are interconnected by suitable cross or tie bars, one of which is shown, for example, at 5 in Fig. l. j

The two side frame members 1 project to the left beyond the two uprights 2 in an overhanging position as shown in Fig. 2 in order to provide free access to a vertically shiitable table 6 for supporting the shipping cases or cartons (one of which is indicated at l) to receive the charge of articles which is dropped into the case from above.

Table 6 is provided with a plurality of rollers, one of which is shown at 8, so that the loaded case may be easily moved by hand off the table. Table 6 is mounted at the top of a vertically movable bar or plunger 9 which moves in a vertical guideway It, secured to a frame structure H which projects to the leftof uprights 2 at about the height of intermediate frame members i. The weight of table 6 and the loaded carton is counterbalanced by a weight I2 which is adjustable on the rear portion of a lever 13 which is pivoted at ll between the two uprights 2 and is connected at its forward end through a chain [5 to the lower end of plunger ii. Since the weight [2 will overbalance the system before case i is loaded, latch it is arranged on a vertical lever I? which is pivoted at its lower end at It to the machine frame. Latch i6 is biased into engagement with table 6 by means of a tension spring 19 so that the latch automatically engages the table when the table is moved to its lowermost position. Latch it is released by means of a foot lever 20.

The articles to be packed, such as the jars 2|, are collected in a load-forming enclosure which is indicated generally by numeral 22 in longitudinal and transverse rows conformin to the size of the shipping case. In the embodiment illustrated, case i is arranged to receive twentyfour of these jars in six rows of four jars each. After a complete charge has been collected in load-forming enclosure 22, table 5 is raised to elevate case I. In its elevated position, case i encloses a group of twenty-four discharge chutes '23, one row of which is shown in Fig. 3, each disthe individual compartments in case 3 formed by crisscross partitioning 25.

Load-forming enclosure 22 comprises the first four rows from the left as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4.;fThe-jars 2l* are advanced toward the load-forming enclosure riding on a series of spaced parallel stationary rails 26. There are six of these rails 26, one for each of the six 1ongi'-' tudinal rows within load-forming enclosure22; These rails are rigid edgewisemou'nted 'metal strips supported on two cross rods 21 and 28 (Fig. 2) which extend between the two side frame 4 For the purpose of moving the jars of the six rows along their respective rails 26 and into the load-forming enclosure, a flight conveyer indicated generally by numeral 4| is employed. This conveyer comprises apai'r of endlessehains 42 on opposite sidesof themachine'a s shown in Fig. 1 and trained at the right end around a pair of driving sprockets 43, and at the left end around a pair of idler'spr'ockets 44. Driving sprockets members I and are securedtofthe innersurface thereof by suitable brackets. To maintain the jars in upright position on rails 26, stationary guides 29 are provided for each of the six rows of jars.

Guides 29 are comparatively wide metal strips (Figs. 2 and 9) and are supported inflanyiappropriate manner on the side frame members I in fixed and rigidly spaced relation toone another. The 'upper'edg'es'of these guides are preferably near the tops'of'jars' 2|." The sur faces of rails 26arepreferablyslightly below the bottoms of guides29. The jars 'sli'cle'on rails 26 up to the left hand side of'load -formi'ng enclosure 22, and then across this enclosureto fill it/For this reason guides 23 "have extensions'or sections 29a which project across the load-forming enclosure. These are, in reality, continuations of guides 29.

Rails 26f'also have extensions or'sections 26a within the load-forming enclosure; but these sections are discontinuousand laterally shiftable into vertical alignment with the guide'extensions 29a for the purpose of causing the'jars 2| within the load-forming enclosure to descend through the chutes 23 and spring fingers 24 into case 1. It is onlya question, however, of arranging rail sections 26a and guide extensions 2 9a to be laterally shiftablerelative to one another',"and, if desired, the reverse arrangement may be employed, that is, rail sections'26a maybe'continuous with rails 26; and guide sections 23a discontinuous with guides 29ffand1 laterally shiftable into vertical alignment with the rail sections. Such-a construction'is shown,"for example; in Patent No. 2,219,827, granted Octber29, 1940 to D. Kimball and Cornelius'I.Biaren,aiid assigned to the same asslgnee' as the present application.

In ord'erto' render rail section's 26a shiftable, as referred to above, they'are mountedbetween two aranercross bars'30 an'd3'l (see Figs. 3 and 4) and form a rigid, unitary structure. The opposite ends of bars 30a'nd 3| are pivotally supported on pins 3 2 -which project horizontally from the mwer ends of four parallel rock arms 33. Arms 33,"onthe fr'ontside of the apparatus, are fixed tofa longitudinal shaft 34, and arms 33, at the rear side, "are'similarly fixedto' a shaft 35. Shafts 34 and 35 are mounted for rocking-movement at the upperfends of brackets 34a which extend upwardly from frame members I'." This shiftable structure "is'bia'sed toward the left, as shown in Fig. 3, by means of a tension spring 36 thereby normally'maintaining rail sections '26::

in position to 'support'jars going'into the loadforming enclosure. 'The structureis'r'noved in the opposite direction to align'sections 2311 with guide extensions'ZSa andxcause'the descent of the charge into the case, by means of a solenoid 31 which has a plunger 38 connected by linkage parallel relation as shown in Fig."2.

43 are keyed to a driving shaft 45 which is rotatably supported'in suitable journals which are mounted near the right end of a pair of side bars 43. Side barsjlifare supported on two pairs of brackets 41 which are mounted on the right hand portion of frame members I. The left hand portion of bars 46 overhang the load-forming enclosure 22. Shaft 48 which supports the idler sprockets 44' is'journalled at the left ends of bars 46.

Between the two chains 42 of the flight conveyer there extend a plurality of equally spaced flight members 49 in the form ,of thin but stiff metal plates which are appropriately secured at their base edges to small bars 50 s'ecuredin any suitable manner at their oppositeend s to the two chains 42. Flight members 49are notched at their lower edges as indicated at 5lin Fig.

8 to provide extensions or tab portions which project below the upper edges of guides 29 a lthe flights travel along the lower reach in o'rderto engage the midsections of the jars and push them along rails 26 without'tipping.

It will be understood that the lower sides of the flight chains 42 are supported to make them travel in a straightline so that the'ends ofthe notches 5| (Fig. 8) will not ride in frictional engagement with the tops of guides 29.

The jars to 'be packed areffed in between one or more of the spaces between flight members 49 at a point outside of the load-forming enclosure,'for example, the first two rows or spaces at the right of the apparatus near driving shaft 45. At this position the flight plates have completed the rounding 0f sprockets 43 and are in The jars are brought up to the apparatus on a conveyer belt 52 (Fig. ,1), preferably in asingle line between guides'53. The jars are divided from a single line into two lines or lanes 54 and 55 which are arranged between a'set of three guides 56. This dividing may beaccomplished by any suitable mechanism, for example, the two star wheels 51 and 58. It will be understood that'conveyer belt 52 is continuously driven by any suitable means (not shown) and that star wheels 51 and 58 are mechanically interconnected by suitable mechanism (not shown) by means of which the recesses of the star wheels are maintained in the staggered relation 'shown'. The jars ahead ofthe star wheels, are in close formation asshown but leave the star wheels in spaced relation and staggered with respect to one'another in the two lanes 54and55. Conveyer belt 52 extends beneath the flight 'conveyer 4i and is trained'around an idler pulley 59 at the rearfside of the machine' The belt is supported on two horizontal metal "strips 60, be-

neath flight conveyer 41 which" maintain t e s urface of the belt level with the.top'sbf'rails' 2 6, the belt being located closely adjacent theiright ends of these rails (Fig. 2) The three'guides 56 are in alignmentwith thethrec flight plates 43 by which the two intake or :end rows of the'jars within flight conveyer 4| are formed. ,Howev'er, between the'en'ds ofguid'esjfi andthe fro t ends of these three flight plate-s49 is a gate mechanism which is indicated generally by numeral 6 i. This mechanism comprises three short guide sections 52, whose length corresponds approximately with the diameter of the jars. Guide sections 62 are secured firmly at their upper edges to a laterally shiftable bar 53.

Bar 63 is arranged to slide in two brackets 84 which are bolted to the undersideof the front frame member I. When gate mechanism 6| is shifted to the left, as shown in Figs. and 6, the guide sections 82 are shifted to the centers of the two lanes formed between guides 56 and stop the further advance of jars on conveyer belt 52. The two jars opposite sections 62 are shifted laterally with the gate mechanism, andin order to support the left hand jar, a plate 65 is mounted adjacent the left edge of belt 52 (Fig. 5). Gate mechanism 6| is shifted to the left by means of a solenoid 6B havingaplunger 61 which is connected to bar 63 by link 68. The gate mechanism is shifted in the opposite direction by means of a compression spring 69 arranged between the right hand bracket 84 and a collar 10 on the right end of bar 63.

The flight conveyer 4| is advanced in a step by step movement to move the jars from conveyer belt 52 forward onto rails 26, and at the same time to advance a similar number of rows of jars 2| into the load-forming enclosure 22. The mechanism for causing this step by step motion of the flight conveyer is shown in Fig. 2 and comprises a one-revolution clutch indicated generally by reference numeral H and which serves to turn driving shaft 45 in a clockwise direction by means of a chain 12. Chain 12 passes around asmall sprocket (not shown) which is keyed to the rear end of the clutch shaft 13, the upper end of the chain passing around a large sprocket 1 4 which is fixed to the rear end of driving shaft 45.

Turning loosely on clutch shaft 13 in front of the sprocket just referred to there is a combination sprocket and toothed gear member l5 which is driven continuously by means of a chain it from the slow speed shaft 71 of a speed reducer 18. The high speed shaft of speed reducer I8 is driven by means of an electric motor 19.

Keyed to the clutch shaft 73 in front of member l5 there is a clutch driving member 80 which is a double armed member having a backlash arm 88a projecting at an angle of about 120 from the main arm of the driving member. Pivoted at all near the end of the main arm of driving member 83 is a driving dog 82 which is spring biased into engagement with the teeth of member I5 and which is provided with a tail portion 83 adapted tobe engaged by a control arm 34 having a roller at its end.

Control arm 84 is shifted into and out of the path of tall 83 of the dog by means of a solenoid 85 having a plunger 86 which is connected through a toggle linkage 81 to control arm 8 When control arm 84 is moved to the left, it releases tail 83 and allows the biased dog 82 to engage one of the teeth of continuously rotating member 15. This connects member 15 with shaft 13 and the movement of flight conveyer 4| commences. If solenoid 85 is deenergized before driving member 85 makes a complete revolution, control arm 84 will be moved back into the path of tail 83 of the control dog and cause shaft 13 to cease rotating at the end of one revolution, the parts stopping in the same position in which they are illustrated in Fig. 2. At the moment of stopping, dog 83 is withdrawn from member 84 and a spring biased arm 88 snaps behind backlash arm a. Arm 83 is mounted on a stud 89 attached to the frame and biased by means of a coil spring 90. A stop pin 9|, also on the frame, engages a tail portion of arm 88 to limit its movement.

In the embodiment shown, in which the intake conveyer delivers two rows of articles to the flight conveyer 4| simultaneously, a single step movement of the flight conveyer must carry the flight plates 49 forward the distance of two flight spaces, or one-quarter of a revolution of shaft 45. Hence, the gear ratio between the sprocket on clutch shaft 13 and sprocket i4 is 4 to i. It will be understood that this ratio can be changed merely by changing the size of the sprockets used so as to suit any plant conditions as to the delivcry of the articles to the apparatus. In some instances, it may be desirable to deliver only a. single row to the conveyer 4| and in other in-- stances, two or possibly four.

The control of the advance of flight conveyer 4| is accomplished by means of a pair of detector switches 82 which are actuated by the foremost articles in each of the two rows entering the machine on conveyer 52. Similar switches 93, six in number, are actuated by the foremost jars 2| in each of the six rows in the load-forming enclosure. A switch 94 is actuated by a rod 95 which is attached to the case supporting table the switch being closed only when the table has reached its uppermost position thereby preventing the operation of the apparatus until the case is correctly positioned to receive the charge.

Referring to the connection diagram, Fig. '7, the operation of the apparatus will now be described in connection with a further description of the control mechanism of the apparatus. Switches 92 are set so as to require the line pressure of at least six jars on conveyer 52 before they will operate. This insures that two complete rows of articles shall have been received between the three flight plates 49 at the right end of the machine before the flight conveyer 4| is advanced. The closure of these switches 92 closes a circuit from one of a pair of supply conductors 9% through the contacts of switches 92 to a conductor't'f. From conductor 8? one circuit is closed through a conductor 98, solenoid 65 which operates gate mechanism 5| and back to the other supply conductor through wire 99. This closes gate mechanism iii and stops the further advance of jars into the flight conveyer 4|.

The energization of conductor 9"! also closes a circuit through solenoid which controls the one-revolution clutch ll. This circuit is from conductor 91 through a pair of normally closed contacts its associated with one of the switches 93, thence to solenoid 85, thence through conductor itl to the other supply conductor 96. In order to delay the movement of the flight conveyer 4| until after gate 6| has been closed so as to insure that the supply of articles is cut off before the flight conveyer commences to operate, a dash pot mechanism I02 may be connected with the operating linkage between plunger 88 of solenoid 85 and the control arm 84 of one revolution clutch 1!.

Clutch now makes one complete revolution, the circuit through solenoid 85 being opened by the initial movement of the flight conveyer 4| which moves the jars off conveyer 52 and onto the right hand end portions of rails 25. As soon as the jars leave their initial positions on 7 "conveyor 52-, the switches .92 are releasedand their contacts opened. .This opens the circuit through solenoid 85.

In order to hold gate mechanismtl in the closed position after contacts 92, have opened, a mechanical latch IE3 is arranged to engage the left hand end of operating bar 63 of the .gate mechanism and hold the gate mechanism closed. Latch 193 is pivoted at 1.04 to a small bracket mounted on the bottom of the frontbar it. The latch is released by means of a release lever 193a to which a biasing spring. 105 is attached which urges the latch towards engaged position. Release lever leaa is lifted towardthe end of the movement of flight conveyer 4| one of the four fingers of a star wheel ittwhich is fixed so as to rotatewith conveyer driving shaft 45. The arrangement is such that release lever i03a is lifted momentarily .by one of the fingers of .star wheels see substantially. at the end of the movement. of the flight conveyer. This releases latch I93 and causes gate mechanism ti to return to open position so that the jars again commence tofeed into the two empty lanes at the right end ofthe flight conveyer. lihe cycle just described is. then repeated to cause another step movement of flight conveyer 4i .and this placesa completechargeuof articles .in the load-forming enclosure 22..

The presence of. .a complete charge inthe load-forming enclosurecauses the actuation of all of the six switches 93 so as to close their normally open contacts. vThis closes a circuit from one of the supply conductors 96 through a conductor Hi1, solenoid 3 1, a conductor ltt, the contacts .of the six. switches 93 in series, a. conductor [$9 to the contacts of switch 9 1. .As soon as the case supporting. table 6 is raised, the contacts of switch-.94 will be-closed and. the circuit wil be completed. to..the other supply conductor 93. Thereupon solenoid 31 will causethe supporting rail sections. 26a. (Fig. 3) .to shift to the right and cause .the. charge of jars to. be discharged downwardly into. case i.

The purpose of contacts. I96 on...one. ofthe switches $3. is .to make it..impossible.for..the

flightconveyer 4| ..to be advanced .bytheone revolution clutch mechanismhil when a. com.- plete charge of articles hasalready been moved into the load-formin enclosure. 22,.

The invention vhasbeen described in ccnnection with only a, single embodiment,,but it will be understood that changes can be in. the

construction and operation of the apparatus without departing from the spirit of the invention. As one example of such changes it may be stated that the gate mechanism 61 may be op erated mechanically instead of electrically. ,jlhe

same is true, also, of the mechanism for shirtby means of ing the rail sectlonslBaain-brder to.al1o.w the chargeotarticles .to..drop, into..the. case. The scope oftheinvention is therefor considered to extend to ,suchconstructionsas.may fairly come within .themeaning of. the .appended claims.

We claim:

1. In an article packing. machine, a loadforining enclosure, 2,. case, supportv therebeneath, an article supportatone side,.guldes for main taining articles .on fsaidarticle support in a plurality of rows-lengthwise of said. support, a flight conveyer arranged above said article support and load-forming enclosure,- said. conveys-r hava series ofspacedflightsiextending crosswise of said-article. support and engaging the articles thereon to maintain..them Tin crosswise rows, means for feeding successive rows of articles oetween said fiights',- means for successively advancing saidflight convey'er until a full charge is containedin 'saidload-forming enclosure, and means for causing said charge to drop into a case on said case support.

- 2. An article packing machine as set forth in claim l-in which article-directing chutes are arranged beneath the load-forming enclosure to direct the individual articles into cells within the case, said article guides and said flights serving to space the articles apart both lengthwise and crosswise oi -the charge and'place them in vertical registry with the article directing chutes.

3. An article packing machine as set forth in claim 1 in which the articles are fed between flights at a point beyond the ends of the lengthwise guides, the movement of the flights forcing the articles against the ends of said guides to space the articles apart in each crosswise row, said flights serving to space the articles apart in lengthwise rows.

4. An article packing machine as set forth in claim 1 in whichthearticle support comprises a series of spaced parallel edgewise mounted rails.

5. An article packing machine as set forth in claim 1 in which the fiiglitsof the flight conveyer are arranged to intermesh with said article guides so as to engage the articles below the tops of said guides.

ARTHUR .E. RIDEOUT.

KAYE B. HOLSTEBROE. ALBIN L. JOHNSON.

References Cited inthefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number I Name Date 1,243,407 Hawthorne Oct. 16, 1917 2,219,827 Kimball etal. Oct. 29, 1940 2,371,026 Cattonaret al. Mar. 6, 1945 2,452,376 Holstebroeet al. Oct. 26, 1948 

